Conor Fynes
'Ash Nazg' - Abigor (2/10)
Forming earlier that year, Abigor's 1993 'Ash Nazg' demo was the Austrian black metal outfit's first semi-official attempt to get their musical ideas onto a recorded medium. While Abigor's first full-length 'Verwustung' would demonstrate a firm grasp of the black metal style, this demo sees Abigor rotting in a barely audible lo-fi dungeon. While I would say that 'Ash Nazg' will satisfy the diehard fans of the band, it will likely repulse anyone and everyone else.
In terms of songwriting, each of these three tracks does have potential. The central riff of 'Dance Of The Dead' has got some beauty to it, and the band's use of medieval samples creates an interesting atmosphere. As is normally expected for a demo, the sound quality and performance here is poor. What makes 'Ash Nazg' verge on the brink of 'unlistenable' is its recording standard and sound. Black metal often prides itself on a bleak, lo-fi sound, but the music is almost entirely obscured by blatant recording errors, and a mushy mix that turns T.T's drumwork into a disappearing act. 'Dance Of The Dead' is the only song of the three which manages to get out alive, although it is scarred, bruised, and badly beaten.
The music here would show potential if it was not murdered by a painfully weak execution. The dreadfully out-of-tune guitars and washboard production far outweigh the mildly interesting acoustics and samples Abigor has to offer here.